What I’m more concerned about, Iranian influence or no, is that Bush seems to have loaned our armed forces to Maliki to use at his whim against his political compaq evo n620c battery,compaq prosignia 170 battery enemies. United States soldiers should not be serving under the leader of Iraq. I think that is a gross abuse of our men and women in uniform.

You left out most of what Juan Cole wrote

The Iranian foreign ministry called Saturday for an end to the fighting, saying that it strengthens the US hand in Iraq and may have the consequence of prolonging the US presence. Iran tends to back the Da’wa Party of Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki, and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, so it is significant that Tehran is criticizing this push by those two to destroy the Sadr Movement. I take them at their word. They are genuinely afraid that al-Maliki’s poorly conceived campaign will backfire and that Bush will use it to insist on keeping troops in Iraq.

Iran thanks the brave American soldiers for help

The Badr brigade IS “Iranian Influence/Meddling” in Iraq. Sen. Graham seems to think this is A Problem. THE PROBLEM is Bush’s Illconceived and Deadly Adventure in Iraq.

It has always been the great irony of the occupation of Iraq that “our” man in Baghdad is also Tehran’s. Maliki heads the Dawa Party, which has long enjoyed close ties to Iran, and relies on support from SIIC, a staunchly pro-Iranian party, and its powerful Badr militia.

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/80580/?page=1

What about US interference? The fact that a foreign nation from the opposite side of the globe is occupying Iraq with 150.000 troops destabilizing the entire region, and mobilizing their navy moving WMD-armed warships to the Persian Gulf for another war with Iran is obviously perfectly reasonable.

_AIO_

he’s trying to help start another war against IRAN…

they’re all out there, beatin’ those drums…

“… the problem is IRAN, folks…” -lush limpballs, months ago…

Good comment from civil behavior entry number 29. Americans need to find new sources that we have. Thanks, Think Progress!

I just noticed an entry in the Wonk Room “Explaining The Sadr Surge”, which is certain to be worth the read.

A fundamental point concerns Iraqi nationalist vs. soft separatist views, with attending interests of public vs. private control of oil resources. The violence at this time has political implications; Elections held today would favor a nationalist gain, which, by the way, is resistant to outside influence from either Iran or the United States, and is a voice calling for the exit of U.S. forces. Muqtada al-Sadr’s truce was the major cause of the downturn in violence, not the ‘Surge’.

What about this name calling? One man’s ‘criminal’ is another man’s ‘freedom fighter’. All that I know is that there is not peace, and that there must be more honesty and a greater attempt to understand. Because, without understanding, there can be no chance of meaningful and just progress.

Interestingly his group provides the most security for Iraqi’s in areas he controls. He provides security, food and necessities while the US is strafing the areas with bombs.

He calls the US what it is…….occupiers. If the Maliki government is stupid enough to be pressured by Washington and refuses to align with Al Sadr in the upcoming fall parlimentary convocation all hell will break loose. He has only given Maliki some breathing room right now. The Iraqi security forces are no match for Sadrs army.

And the American public??? Stupid and foolish. They believe everything that tube feeds them.

I honestly dont think most fox naziews views can even fathom that the country most most benefitted by democracy in iraq is iran.

Sadr is probably the LEAST involved with Iran of any of the factions struggling for power in iraqi politics now.

Ok.. so in right wing logic.. Iran is allied with Al Queda…which is why the president of Iran could visit Iraq safely and publicly. But Sadr is against the Iranian/AL-queda allied Iraqi government, so where does that put Sadr on the “with us or against us” list?